Scottish Executive

Economy

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to reduce business rates.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive aims to announce the 2005-06 business rates poundage in early November.

Economy

Christine May (Central Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will use increases in economic growth to deliver excellence in public services.

Mr Tom McCabe: Economic growth and excellent public services are complementary and mutually reinforcing. We look to the potential for excellent public services to promote economic growth, through facilitating the appropriate physical, human and electronic infrastructure and fostering the dynamic competitiveness in Scottish enterprises. We will shortly publish plans to secure annual efficiency savings in the public sector that will rise to £650 million by 2007-08 and will be used for investment in our front-line services. In turn, economic growth can help deliver the outcomes we are pursuing, as achieving our equity and sustainability objectives is closely tied to achieving our economic objectives.

Education

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that all pupils leaving school for further and higher education have adequate literacy skills.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive has a range of initiatives to improve literacy skills at all levels of education.

  Literacy standards are improving year on year – as seen in our 5–14 test results.

Education

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what specific steps it is taking to devolve greater control of local authority education budgets to head teachers.

Peter Peacock: We have given our commitment to increasing devolved decision making in the use of school budgets in the agreement A Partnership for a Better Scotland . We are working with ADEF to deliver that improvement through new guidance.

Education

Mark Ballard (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made by the Sustainable Development Education Liaison Group.

Peter Peacock: The group is making steady progress. A research study on Sustainable Development Education in other parts of the UK has been completed. The report is being finalised and will be distributed to education authorities and other interested groups in the next few weeks. A development officer to assist the group in its work is also expected to be an appointed early next year.

Elections

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued to the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland on the process and timetable for the creation of multi-member wards for the local government elections by single transferable vote in 2007.

Mr Tom McCabe: Directions have been given to the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland, and to councils, in relation to the initial period of consultation required under section 18(2)(a) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. No other guidance has been issued which relates specifically to the current review.

Europe

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why it differs from the conclusion agreed by a majority of the European and External Relations Committee in its 2nd Report in 2004 on European regional development funding that a proportion of at least 0.45% of EU-25 Gross National Income is needed to fund regional development across the European Union from 2007.

Allan Wilson: We agree with the UK Government that the Commission’s proposed Financial Perspective – and the Structural and Cohesion Funds budget within that – is too high. It is important that the Structural Funds budget should focus on the poorest member states and generally concentrate on adding value to what member states can fund themselves.

Farming

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether land management contracts can be adjusted to reflect the needs of west Highland farmers and crofters.

Ross Finnie: We have been considering the responses to the LMC Menu Scheme consultation and have also been involved in discussion with stakeholders to establish a range of measures which reflect the diversity of farming and the environment within Scotland – including the needs of west Highland farmers and crofters. We are in discussions with the EU Commission on the measures and plan to make an announcement in due course.

Fisheries

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to improve access to freshwater fishing.

Lewis Macdonald: We are working with other stakeholders through the Scottish Freshwater Fisheries Forum to address a number of issues, including access.

Housing

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that private sector tenants are more aware of their rights and responsibilities.

Malcolm Chisholm: Raising awareness, among both tenants and landlords, is a key element in the Executive’s drive to improve standards in private rented housing.

  At the end of August I launched an advertising campaign to encourage tenants and landlords to find out more about their rights and responsibilities. The advertising directs people to a new website, "Better Renting Scotland .com".

Justice

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will decide whether to raise the limit on claims before the small claims court.

Cathy Jamieson: I am currently considering this matter in light of the representations which have been made to ministers.

  We need to strike the right balance in what we propose the increased levels should be. In doing so, we need to consider the differing interests of the different users of the court system.

Justice

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on criminal confiscation in each of the last five financial years and in the current financial year.

Colin Boyd QC: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-10918 on 4 October 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

National Health Service

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to reduce the number of NHS boards.

Mr Andy Kerr: Now is not the time to make changes given the need for stability in our health service. Therefore no reduction in the number of health boards is being proposed by the Executive. However, I would make it absolutely clear that there has to be a significant improvement in cross boundary working to ensure that the boards’ decisions take account of the regional dimension. If they fail to do so then the Executive may need to look at this again.

Renewable Energy

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make an announcement on the proposal to build a 112.5 megawatt wind-powered generating station at Farr near Tomatin in the Highlands.

Allan Wilson: I can announce that the Scottish ministers have granted consent on this proposal in terms of section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. Additionally, this consent carries deemed planning permission in terms of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.

  This announcement follows a lengthy consultation process which involved environmental groups, government bodies and members of the public. Following consultation with Highland Council, conditions were attached to this consent to safeguard local and environmental interests.

Renewable Energy

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make an announcement on the proposal to build a 98 megawatt wind-powered generating station at Braes of Doune near Dunblane.

Allan Wilson: I can announce that the Scottish ministers have granted consent to this proposal in terms of section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. Additionally this consent carries deemed planning permission in terms of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.

  This announcement follows a lengthy consultation process which involved environmental groups, government bodies and members of the public. Following consultation with Stirling Council, conditions were attached to this consent to safeguard local and environmental interests.

Roads

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an update on progress regarding the upgrading of the A8000.

Nicol Stephen: The decision letters giving approval for the upgrade scheme were issued by the Scottish ministers on 12 July. Responsibility for taking forward this local road scheme is a matter for the City of Edinburgh Council, as the responsible roads authority.

Scottish Criminal Records Office

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether fingerprint technology currently being used by the Scottish Criminal Records Office is sufficiently up to date.

Cathy Jamieson: The Fingerprint technology currently in use by the Scottish Fingerprint Service is up to date. It consists of two interlinked parts, the Automatic Fingerprint Recognition System which was introduced in 1991 and which had a major software upgraded in 1997 and the Livescan system which was introduced in 1997.

Scottish Regiments

Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the Members’ Business debate on 23 September 2004, what representations it has made to Her Majesty’s Government regarding the future of the Scottish regiments.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the United Kingdom on a wide range of issues, including Scottish Regiments. Discussions between the Scottish Executive and the UK Government are conducted on a confidential basis.

Sport

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase the number of registered community amateur sports clubs.

Ms Patricia Ferguson: A letter was issued in May by the Scottish Sports Association to the Scottish Association of Local Sports Councils, sports governing bodies and local sports councils outlining the benefits of registering as a community amateur sports club with the Inland Revenue. We have no other plans in advance of the appropriate legislative vehicle introducing a statutory scheme for rates relief for community amateur sports clubs.

Tourism

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in negotiations between VisitScotland and local authorities on the setting up of an integrated tourism network.

Ms Patricia Ferguson: Very positive progress is being made towards ensuring that the new integrated tourism network will be in place by April 2005. Discussions have taken place with COSLA and all the local authorities in Scotland on their role in the new network and I am pleased with the positive and active approach being taken by the local authority sector to help deliver the vision of growing tourism revenues by 50% over the next decade.

Unemployment

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the most recent unemployment figures are for the west of Scotland, broken down by local authority area.

Mr Jim Wallace: There are two measures of unemployment used in the UK. Unemployment (previously know as International Labour Organisation (ILO) unemployment) and the claimant count. There are significant differences between the unemployment level derived from the ILO unemployment measure and the claimant count. The ILO measure of unemployment is a wider definition and includes individuals who are actively seeking work as well as those claiming job seekers benefits, whereas claimant count only includes those claiming job seekers benefits.

  Unemployment levels obtained from the Labour Force Survey using the ILO definition is the Executive’s preferred measure of unemployment. However it is currently less reliable for geographical areas lower than Scotland level. The claimant count is based on administrative records and is more reliable at local authority level.

  Table 1: Unemployment Figures by Local Authority Area for the West of Scotland

  

Area
Unemployment (ILO),
Total 16+
Unemployment
Rate (ILO), 
Total 16+1
Claimant Count August 2004
Claimant
Count Rate
August 20041


Argyll and Bute
*
*
1,414
2.7%


Dumfries and Galloway
*
*
2,208
2.5%


East Ayrshire
*
*
3,198
4.6%


East Dunbartonshire
*
*
1,199
1.8%


East Renfrewshire
*
*
916
2.0%


Eilean Siar (Western Isles)
*
*
594
3.2%


Glasgow City
24,000
8.9%
16,616
5.2%


Inverclyde
*
*
2,829
5.5%


North Ayrshire
*
*
3,854
5.1%


North Lanarkshire
13,000
8.1%
6,562
3.6%


Renfrewshire
*
*
3,510
3.5%


South Ayrshire
*
*
2,208
3.5%


South Lanarkshire
*
*
5,039
3.0%


West Dunbartonshire
*
*
2,454
4.6%



  Unemployment level source: Labour Force Survey, 2004 Spring Quarter.

  Claimant Count source: Claimant Count administrative database, DWP.

  Notes:

  1. Rate as a proportion of the economically active population.

  *Sample-size too small for reliable estimate.

Wildlife

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what input it had in respect of the formation of deer management groups.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has had no direct input in respect of the formation of deer management groups. This is a matter for individual estates to take forward with the Deer Commission for Scotland which is always available to offer advice on setting up such groups.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Parliament

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the estimated annual costs are for the maintenance and upkeep of Holyrood.

John Scott (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body): The estimated cost for planned maintenance for the first full year of operation, 2005-06, is anticipated to be £640,000. The estimated cost for reactive maintenance is £206,000. Maintenance histories will enable future years’ budgets to be set with greater certainty than is possible at this time.